National Guard told lesbian to be ‘more feminine’ to progress, lawsuit claims
the Daily Beast reports.Kingrey, a 14-year veteran, told the Daily Beast that the Guard withdrew a job offer that she had already applied for and rejected her for another role after the senior leader’s comments.“From 2016 to 2018, I was constantly being pulled into my seniors’ offices being told my hair was out of regs [non-regulation],” Kingrey said.“It crossed a line into harassment, and I carried on my person a copy of our regulations in regards to female hair length because I was not breaking any rules.”Kingrey claims in her lawsuit that she was subjected to “continued harassment, discrimination, and retaliation based upon her sex, including her sexual orientation and perceived gender nonconformity.”She alleges that vice wing commander colonel Michael Cadle told a female lieutenant colonel to suggest that Kingrey change her appearance to be more feminine.It was suggested that she “grow my hair out and start wearing makeup because if I didn’t, it would be detrimental to my career in the West Virginia Air National Guard,” Kingrey claimed.“I had heard of other females with short hair having issues with people saying things, but I don’t know that progressed to the extent mine did.
My hair length has nothing do with my work ethic or job performance,” she added.“Initially I was embarrassed. I could not believe that not fitting their mold of how I should look would truly impact my career.
It was devastating.”Kingrey said that colleagues and superiors enabled a rumor that she was transitioning to male, and she alleged that she was forced to try on a woman’s Honor Guard jacket to “confirm” that the women’s sizes wouldn’t fit.“I am fighting this case not just because what happened to me was blatantly wrong, but, most.
